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further containers would have to be purchased in the near future. A chassis is
capable of transporting six containers of the size at present in use, but some of the
property in Westminster is so large that six containers are insufficient to accommodate
all refuse made between collections. To meet such cases a specially designed Refuse
Trailer has been introduced and installed at premises on a hire rental basis; these
trailers are left at premises arid exchanged when necessary, exactly the same as
the Container System.
Refuse Receptacles.—The house-to-house inspection of refuse receptacles in use
throughout the City has continued and although the installation of over 5,000
receptacles in accordance with the London County Council By-laws has been obtained;
there is still a considerable amount of improvement necessary in this direction.
Another difficulty to be overcome is that, apart from lock-up shops where receptacles
are not available until 9 a.m. or after, there are many premises where they are
unnecessarily put out overnight and left out over the week-end and on public holidays.
This practice not only gives important thoroughfares an untidy appearance, but
encourages "totters," who sort over the contents and scatter the refuse on the
footways. It is not always possible to deal with this as "obstruction of the public
way" as in many cases the receptacles stand on a private forecourt although they
are accessible to and in full view of the public.
A special Sub-Committee has been set up by the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing
Joint Committee in conjunction with the British Standards Institute, to consider
the issue of standard specifications for refuse receptacles of various approved sizes,
to which all manufacturers may be asked to conform. This should materially assist
Local Authorities, as at the present time receptacles are being offered for sale considerably
above the maximum size permitted, which are more than one man can
lift when full of refuse. Some are constructed of metal of too light a gauge and
consequently soon become distorted, for which the dustmen are usually blamed.
The eventual conclusions and recommendations of this Sub-Committee should prove
of valuable assistance to all Authorities concerned with refuse storage and collection.
Refuse Disposal.—A brief description of the Council's centralized Refuse Disposal
Plant at Grosvenor Dock, and the new Central Depot which will totally enclose it
eventually, has already been given in previous reports. The erection of the new
Depot is proceeding satisfactorily, but its completion has been unavoidably delayed
owing to the Government priority of steel. Westminster is setting an example to
all Local Authorities who transport their refuse by barge, by insisting upon steel
barges with fixed coamings and wooden hatches which are completely covered by
tarpaulin. The two contractors' dumps to which the City's refuse is taken have been
frequently and regularly inspected throughout the year, and tipping is being carried
out strictly in accordance with the requirements of the Essex County Council and the
Local Authority concerned.
Medical Inspection of Aliens.
At the request of the Ministry of Health the City Council agreed to
the appointment by the Minister of the Medical Officer of Health as Medical
Inspector of Aliens for the City under the Aliens Order, 1920, arising out
of the introduction of a through sleeping car service by train ferry from